Here Kitty-Kitty-Kitty....

A major part of the coastline comprises a marshy jungle, the largest mangrove forest in the world and home to diverse flora and fauna, including the.. well he may not be the king of beasts but it sure is one beast I wouldn't bet against. This region has in the past 10 years been declared endangered.

In the top 10 of the worlds most populous country, it is also among the most densely populated countries in the world with a high poverty rate. However, per-capita (inflation-adjusted) GDP has more than doubled since 1975, and the poverty rate has fallen by 20% since the early 1990s.

The country is listed among the "Next Eleven" economies. But this country continues to face a number of major challenges, including widespread political and bureaucratic corruption, and economic competition relative to the world.

New year celebrations are on April 14th. It is also start of crop season. Traditionally the home is thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned; people bathe early in the morning and dress in fine clothes. They spend much of the day visiting relatives, friends, and neighbours and going to fair. Fairs are arranged in many parts of the country. Various agricultural products, traditional handicrafts, toys, cosmetics, as well as various kinds of food and sweets are sold at these fairs. The fairs also provide entertainment, with singers, dancers and traditional plays and songs, as well as sweets and other treats.

The culture and lifestyle of the tribal people in the hills are very different from that of the farmers of the plains. Some tribes are matriarchal, and all have similar housing – made entirely of bamboo and covered by thatched roofs of dried leaves. In most other respects, the tribes are quite different, each having its own distinctive rites, rituals, dialect and dress, eg in some tribes the women wear indigo-and-red striped sarongs. The women are particularly skilled in making handicrafts, while some of the men still take pride in hunting with bows and arrows. It also offers a chance to stretch the legs with some exciting hiking between tribal communities.

The national game is known as Kabbadi. The rules are quite in depth, look it up see if you can play it.

There are a number of archaeological and historical sites in here, which are know to date back as far as the third century BC. In the hilly region of north east , contains a number of megalithic monuments, similar to those found in Europe. One of the oldest known city sights is the earliest urban archaeological site so far discovered in in the area.

Apart from cyclones, the area regularly suffers from extensive flooding caused by monsoon rains and melting snows from the Himalayas.

A traditional wedding is arranged by Ghotoks (matchmakers), who are typically friends or relatives of the couple. The matchmakers facilitate the introduction, and also help agree the amount of any settlement. Weddings are traditionally in five parts: first it is the bride and groom's Mehendi Shondha,the bride's Gaye Holud, the groom's Gaye Holud, the Beeya and the Bou Bhaat. These often take place on separate days. The first event in a wedding is an informal one: the groom presents the bride with a ring marking the "engagement" which is gaining popularity. For the mehendi shondha the bride's side apply henna to each other as well as the bride For the bride's Gaye Holud, the groom's family - except the groom himself - go in procession to the bride's home.

Bride's friends and family apply turmeric paste to her body as a part of Gaye Holud ceremony.
The procession traditionally centers on the (younger) female relative and friends of bride, and they are traditionally all in matching clothes, mostly orange in colour. The bride is seated on a dais, and the henna is used to decorate the bride's hands and feet with elaborate abstract designs. The sweets are then fed to the bride by all involved, piece by piece.
The actual wedding ceremony "Beeye" follows the Gaye Holud ceremonies. The wedding ceremony is arranged by the bride's family. On the day, the younger members of the bride's family barricade the entrance to the venue, and demand a sort of admission charge from the groom in return for allowing him to enter. The bride and groom are seated separately, and a Kazi (authorized person by the govt. to perform the wedding), accompanied by the parents and a Wakil (witness) from each side formally asks the bride for her consent to the union, and then the groom for his. The bride's side of the family tries to play some kind of practical joke on the groom such as stealing the groom's shoe. The reception, also known as Bou-Bhaat (reception), is a party given by the groom's family in return for the wedding party. It is typically a much more relaxed affair, with only the second-best wedding outfit being worn.

This is a riverine country. Most of the country's land is formed through silt brought by the many hundreds of rivers that flow through it.

RANDOM FACTS:

The entire country is slightly smaller that Iowa.

Many people believe that if you are bitten by a dog you will have puppies.

Here, kids as young as 15 can be jailed for cheating on their finals.

The largest ever hailstone weighed over 1kg and fell in 1986.

Fishermen train Smooth Otters to herd fish into nets.